Design Web Louisvillehttps://designweblouisville.com
Thu, 13 Jul 2017 18:22:42 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.7.5Benefits of Open Source CMS Softwarehttps://designweblouisville.com/benefits-open-source-cms-software/
https://designweblouisville.com/benefits-open-source-cms-software/#respondThu, 13 Jul 2017 18:20:12 +0000https://designweblouisville.com/?p=914CMS software is a sort of operating system for your website, allowing you to design a site using simplified tools, sidestepping the need to know how to develop a website from the ground up.

]]>Web design seems like a bizarre art to the uninitiated, but thankfully, there are several kinds of tools that can help make things easier for the first-time designer. Possibly the most useful of these tools is a kind of software known as a content management system, or CMS. CMS software is a sort of operating system for your website, allowing you to design a site using simplified tools, sidestepping the need to know how to develop a website from the ground up. Different kinds of CMSs have different levels of simplification, so you’ll need to pay attention to just how much help you think you’ll need to build the site.

Many of these CMS systems are “open source,” meaning that the source code that makes the programs function is freely available to anyone that wants to use it. This software is especially popular, largely because an open source program is free to use. But there are other reasons to go open source, including the fact that they have a large installed user base who you can be ask questions. Using an open source software puts you in a web of users that can help you to figure out what you are doing.

If you are interested in finding the best CMS for your needs, this infographic by CopyPress will help you sort out your WordPresses from your coffee presses. With the info on the graphic, you’ll get a thorough grounding in how to make a website work. Using that info, you can start work on your site right now.

]]>We love comic conventions and art at Design Web. We’re taking a break from making websites to hang out at Fandom Fest. You can find us at the Fair and Expo Center from July 28th – 30th, 2017. We will be selling some super-cool artwork! Come say hello and check out our selection of custom, professional artwork.

]]>https://designweblouisville.com/come-visit-design-web-fandom-fest/feed/0Changes to Google Guidehttps://designweblouisville.com/changes-google-guide/
https://designweblouisville.com/changes-google-guide/#respondWed, 14 Jun 2017 15:33:35 +0000https://designweblouisville.com/?p=884If you’re not familiar with Google Guides, it is very similar to Yelp, but with Google Maps mixed into the equation. Essentially, it allows you to leave reviews, check facts, and post photos of your favorite business or location. These photos and changes will appear on Google Maps when people search for them, or within […]

]]>If you’re not familiar with Google Guides, it is very similar to Yelp, but with Google Maps mixed into the equation. Essentially, it allows you to leave reviews, check facts, and post photos of your favorite business or location. These photos and changes will appear on Google Maps when people search for them, or within the Google Maps GPS system. This is why it is important to make sure you claim your business through Google Maps and Google My Business.

Google incentivizes contributors by gamifying the entire process through Google Guides. It is very satisfying to “level up” your Google Guide by leaving reviews, fact checking businesses, answering questions, and posting photos. The more you contribute, the higher your level. The process used to add points for every contribution, regardless of content. Starting today, Google is now changing the point system so that the more helpful your content, the more points you receive. According to Google, you’ll receive the most points for adding new places on Google Maps. They have also increased the maximum level you can achieve to LEVEL 10!

You don’t just get imaginary internet points and badges, which have been proven to create endorphin, dopamine, and oxytocin rushes in your brain. Google also gives you prizes, such as extra free storage on Google Drive, free months of Google Play music, and free Google Play movie rentals, early access to Google features, along with MANY other prizes. You’ll also be allowed to set up meet-ups with other Google Local Guides, similar to how Meetup.com works.

Overall, you’re contributing to improving Google Maps as a whole and also helping local businesses. By reviewing local businesses, you help them not only improve the way they do business, but you’ll also help others determine which business or location is best for their needs. By leaving a review for your favorite restaurant, you might help bring them more business and improve their search rank which will help them stick around longer and keep serving up that delicious hot chicken you love!

]]>Louisville Downtown Partnership brought us on to work with their graphic designer to create a data-heavy website focusing on their mission. We brought together the front-end designs with an easy-to-use backend and created an amazing website. Included in the functionality of the site are regular traffic updates via interactive Google Maps, Downtown Louisville event updates, and up-to-date Louisville News. An easy to access, in-depth library of data was also included on the site for research purposes.

]]>https://designweblouisville.com/louisville-downtown-partnership-2/feed/0How to Increase Visability and Improve SEOhttps://designweblouisville.com/increase-visability-improve-seo/
https://designweblouisville.com/increase-visability-improve-seo/#respondWed, 10 May 2017 13:07:12 +0000https://designweblouisville.com/?p=840Design Web – How to Increase Your Visibility and Improve Your SEO Making a website popular takes a lot of planning and hard work. Even a great site might not attract any visitors unless you put in enough effort to make it stand out. Considering that the total number of websites exceeds 1.18 billion, it […]

Making a website popular takes a lot of planning and hard work. Even a great site might not attract any visitors unless you put in enough effort to make it stand out. Considering that the total number of websites exceeds 1.18 billion, it makes sense that not many sites have a chance to earn money.

Before you waste a lot of time advertising your site or company, take a few minutes to think of low-cost ways that you can make your website more popular. Search engine optimization should jump out as your first strategy.

SEO professionals improve website rankings by learning how search engines work. Once you understand what search engines want to see, you can follow a few tricks that will boost a site’s rank. Some of the most useful SEO strategies include using keywords, publishing blogs that other sites want to share, and removing dead links from your pages.

These are some of the simplest things that you can do to push your site’s ranking higher. You can get even better results by working with an SEO professional who knows how to use metadata and other techniques. Still, the basics will get you pretty far.

You can learn more about improving your site’s popularity by reading the How to Increase Visibility & Improve Your SEO whitepaper or checking out the infographic below from CopyPress. It can also introduce you to effective strategies that will make your site more visible for search engines and customers.

]]>https://designweblouisville.com/increase-visability-improve-seo/feed/0Aines Carterhttps://designweblouisville.com/aines-carter/
https://designweblouisville.com/aines-carter/#respondFri, 14 Apr 2017 15:19:47 +0000https://designweblouisville.com/?p=800Aines, Carter, & Associates is an Oldham County neighbor who needed a new website. We were able to do a quick turnaround to provide a web solution to market their services and new location. Using the latest UI/UX design techniques, we crafted a simple site that laid out all the services that were provided by […]

]]>Aines, Carter, & Associates is an Oldham County neighbor who needed a new website. We were able to do a quick turnaround to provide a web solution to market their services and new location. Using the latest UI/UX design techniques, we crafted a simple site that laid out all the services that were provided by Aines, Carter, & Associates. The website is easy to navigate for their clients and prospective clients. We love working with businesses in Oldham County, La Grange, and Crestwood, Kentucky.

]]>https://designweblouisville.com/aines-carter/feed/0First Friday Hophttps://designweblouisville.com/first-friday-hop/
https://designweblouisville.com/first-friday-hop/#respondWed, 29 Mar 2017 13:38:14 +0000https://designweblouisville.com/?p=818Design Web worked with First Friday Hop to organize events, market them online through social media, and developed a user-friendly website, increasing attendance through promotions such as Pokemon Hop and Day of the Dead

]]>The First Friday Hop is an incredibly popular Downtown Louisville event that has been running for almost 20 years. Design Web was brought on to help with social media, SEO, marketing, event organization, and web design and web development for the project. Our very own Jael Roed is responsible for a majority of the work done on the First Friday Hop in 2016, growing the event and increasing attendance through promotions such as Pokemon Hop and Day of the Dead. Our work on the website features high-end user functionality with many add-ons, including a gig calendar, mailing list, member profiles, and other functionality. We look forward to growing the event even more in 2017!

]]>https://designweblouisville.com/first-friday-hop/feed/0Maximize ROI with Behavior Analysishttps://designweblouisville.com/maximize-roi-behavior-analysis/
https://designweblouisville.com/maximize-roi-behavior-analysis/#respondTue, 21 Mar 2017 12:38:31 +0000https://designweblouisville.com/?p=440Many small businesses worry that they don’t have the budget for behavioral analysis. They’re either a non-profit that funnels as much as they can to support their cause or a small business trying to keep the lights on. Neither of these organizations has the budget for large-scale analytics investments. Fortunately, many analytics tools are free and there are multiple sources of data from which to choose.

]]>Many small businesses worry that they don’t have the budget for behavioral analysis. They’re either a non-profit that funnels as much as they can to support their cause or a small business trying to keep the lights on. Neither of these organizations has the budget for large-scale analytics investments. Fortunately, many analytics tools are free and there are multiple sources of data from which to choose.

For example, public records and other forms of third-party data (like industry publications or earnings reports) can tell marketers about their industry and audience. This might be as simple as reading about the spending habits of millennials before marketing to them. This research is typically free and easy to access. Meanwhile, a lot of first-party data is free because it’s collected by the company. This might include donation size for nonprofits, average purchase size, and regularity of purchase or donation. This information alone can help companies focus on their calls to action and frequency of marketing to customers, which can be a huge money saver.

Naturally, data collection and analysis is only the first step of the analytical process. Many companies collect and analyze data but then fail to take action on the insights that they learned. Execution is a crucial step in the behavioral analysis, as the whole process is moot without it.

Check out this infographic by CopyPress on the value of Behavioral Analysis and how it can be implemented throughout your campaign. Even small businesses on bootstrapped budgets can find ways to analyze their customers and tailor their marketing strategies to their needs.

]]>https://designweblouisville.com/maximize-roi-behavior-analysis/feed/0Louisville Butchertownhttps://designweblouisville.com/louisville-butchertown/
https://designweblouisville.com/louisville-butchertown/#respondThu, 09 Mar 2017 00:34:10 +0000https://designweblouisville.com/?p=436We created a quick, one-page website to highlight Butchertown, its history, and its businesses due to the expansion of the Republic Bank First Friday Hop to now include Butchertown. The many features of the site include an email signup, event calendar, and linkbacks for all the area businesses.

]]>We created a quick, one-page website to highlight Butchertown, its history, and its businesses due to the expansion of the Republic Bank First Friday Hop to now include Butchertown. The many features of the site include an email signup, event calendar, and linkbacks for all the area businesses.

]]>https://designweblouisville.com/louisville-butchertown/feed/0Bourbonisthttps://designweblouisville.com/bourbonist/
https://designweblouisville.com/bourbonist/#respondWed, 08 Mar 2017 00:25:52 +0000https://designweblouisville.com/?p=433At Design Web, we love all things bourbon. Our love of bourbon inspired us to create this amazing website that celebrates Downtown Louisville and the many bourbon bars and restaurants. We hope that visitors and residents of Louisville can use this website to find the best bourbon foods, drinks, and merchandise.

]]>At Design Web, we love all things bourbon. Our love of bourbon inspired us to create this amazing website that celebrates Downtown Louisville and the many bourbon bars and restaurants. We hope that visitors and residents of Louisville can use this website to find the best bourbon foods, drinks, and merchandise.